


Survivor(s)

by 51stCenturyFox



Category: Torchwood, Torchwood: Miracle Day
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-26
Updated: 2011-09-26
Packaged: 2017-10-30 14:27:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/51stCenturyFox/pseuds/51stCenturyFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Don't count our Esther out just yet</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Survivor(s)

**Author's Note:**

> This story follows the Miracle Day series finale. Spoilers for the final episode.

Rex had waved off the offer of an ambulance, covering the bloody hole on his shirt with a crumpled black scarf Gwen had produced from her handbag.

"The injury from the car wreck," she explained to the still-shaky agent who'd shot Charlotte. "Rex twisted when he saw her aim, but it's stopped bleeding already. We'll take him to the hospital while you... do whatever you need to." The agent looked ashen. "It's a good thing you did, stopping her," Gwen said decisively, looking into his eyes and speaking softly. "If she'd had the chance to fire again she wouldn't have missed." She patted his shoulder and rushed to catch up with Jack and Rhys, who were ushering Rex out towards the car.

It wouldn't do to retcon anyone; she'd see if Rex could forward his phone data and Charlotte would go down in the files alongside Friedkin as a traitor, as if the shooting had left any doubt.

After Rex had had a chance to calm down: "Oh shit. Oh _shit_ ," he'd murmured over and over, Jack made a command decision no one argued with: to the pub, after a stop at Rex's apartment so he could change his shirt and jacket.

"You're gonna need spare shirts," Jack pointed out.

"Oh, shit," Rex said, leaning up to speak with Jack, "Do I need to start wearing suspenders, too?"

"Shock's wearing off," Gwen remarked.

Surprisingly, Rhys begged to be dropped off first. "Jet lag. I need a kip."

"Oh, Rhys, I-" Gwen started.

"It's fine, love." When she stepped outside the car with him at the hotel, he whispered in her ear: "You go on and fill me in when you get back tonight, eh?" She'd smiled and kissed him, then watched from the rear-view mirror as the doorman ushered him in. _Rhys had probably had enough immortality to last him the rest of his life,_ she thought, and shook her head at how ridiculous that sounded.

At Rex's apartment, he left Jack and Gwen to wait in the car. "I'll just be a minute. But don't get any funny ideas. I'm driving." Gwen moved to the rear seat and the pair sat in silence. She couldn't be sure Jack was thinking of the last long conversation they'd had alone in a car, but she suspected he was, too. Jack glanced back at her and turned up the radio for the news at the top of the hour. The stock market was up again an a new baby giraffe had come into the world at the National Zoo.Things were getting back to normal, it seemed. It was amazing what people had the capacity to accept. However, the President's Executive Order on categorization hadn't helped his re-election chances. Acceptance wasn't the same as approval, after the fact.

"Jack," Gwen said, finally, "D'you think Rex is really..."

Jack was about to answer when Rex opened the door and slid behind the wheel. "Okay, I know a place you'll like." They drove to a British-style pub in Georgetown, unsurprisingly empty since it was 2:30 and there weren't many tourists about for a Tuesday. There weren't many tourists about, full stop; things really weren't back to normal.

"Not bad," Jack said, and Gwen nodded after having a sip of her lager. She'd slid her feet out of the heels and immediately felt calmer.

"Right, I have things to tell you, but first-"

"Yeah," Jack nodded.

"I was shot. And I didn't die."

"The first time... well, the second time, I still didn't believe it either," Jack replied. "But I was hit with a blunt object so I thought I'd just had a concussion. There was a lot of blood for a concussion, though. I'm having a steak. I think I need iron."

Rex shook his head. "The second time you came back from the dead." He took a long pull on his pint and kept his hand wrapped around the glass on it as he set it down. They paused to give the server their orders.

"Rex," Jack paused, "What did you _see_?" Gwen flinched in her seat next to Jack. He hadn't had anyone to ask. Since Suzie.

"What do you mean? You mean..." Rex trailed off and fixed his eyes on a wooden beam. "Oh. Yeah. I saw a tunnel, and a white light. And a man on a giant, golden throne with a long white beard..." he surveyed his tablemates and at Gwen's expression Rex laughed. "Nothing, man. It just went dark like I was knocked out. Waking up, what do you call that? Waking up _hurt_ , though."

"It does. Hurt. " Jack cleared his throat.

"But I gotta be honest, it beats not waking up, or waking up with a steel pole through your chest, which feels a helluva lot worse. I should know."

Jack looked grim. "Look, Rex. We don't even know if you're like... me. Maybe the effects of the Blessing are temporary. I wouldn't go risking your life."

"Oh, I won't," Rex agreed, polishing off his Guinness as the server brought their plates and retreated, and they ate in silence.

"I know it's terrible to even think it, knowing what Jack's been through, and now..." Gwen said quietly, "-but if Esther had got Jack's transfused blood as well, she'd be alive."

"Gwen," Rex put down his fork and glanced around them. Gwen met his eyes and Jack leaned forward. "-and Jack... guys... Esther is alive."

Gwen's eyes widened. "What do you mean, alive?"

"She's in a hospital in Delaware. She's not... immortal or magically healed or whatever. She's recovering from a pierced lung, but she's gonna be fine. I had a private med-evac team pull her out and handle the transport, a favor. But as far as the CIA knows, she didn't make it."

"Why didn't you tell us before now?" Jack hissed. "Don't you trust us?"

Rex stared Jack down. "I worked with Charlotte for six years. She saved my ass during an infiltration in Kabul. Just saying."

"What about Esther's family?" Gwen asked.

"The sister knows. The CIA sent a case officer over to break the news of Esther's death, and they beat me over to her place. She said she knew Esther wasn't dead -- didn't feel it was true. I told her she was deep undercover and out of the country, just in case."

Jack let out a deep breath and nodded. "Makes sense."

"Sarah's kind of paranoid, which isn't a bad way to be considering everything that's happened. But she's not saying anything to anybody. And she's off the radar anyway. If she does say anything about Esther, well, she's on medication..." Rex let the words hang in the air. _It's not like anybody will believe her, anyway._

"When can we see Esther?" Jack asked.

"Pretty soon, I mean, she's registered under a false identity, and we don't know who could still be watching us. I don't know about you, but after today my general trust level is extra shot-to-hell."

"I trust fuck-all," Gwen said bluntly. "Jack and Rhys and my mum. And you. And Esther."

Rex nodded. "She's being discharged in a couple of days and I've got a safe house set up. Getting her a private nurse."

"I'll do it," Jack cut in. "I want to take care of her. I don't officially exist either." Gwen gave his wrist a squeeze and he smiled at her. "And then we'll get set up again."

Gwen smiled back. "A _base_?"

"Rhys is gonna hate this," Jack pointed out. "But we can do international, right?"

"I'm keeping my day job," Rex said. "I've got a lot of assets there that Torchwood doesn't. And the Families are still around."

"You're going to want to talk about... about what happened today..." Jack said.

"Yeah, maybe. Definitely. But right now I'm just glad I'm not on a slab in the mortuary. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next month. And you have a secure phone. And that thing," he gestured at Jack's wrist strap. "Is that a Dick Tracy phone too?"

"It's a medical monitor," Jack said, with a grin.

"Yeah, sure." Rex threw some twenties onto the table and helped Gwen out of the booth after she poked her feet into her pumps again. "Whatever you say, World War Two. Whatever you say."  
  



End file.
